SPDP chief William Mawan's move to field his people in the next state election has forced expelled elected reps to look at joining other parties.
KUCHING: Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) is gleefully waiting for the five former Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party (SPDP) members to join them.
Irrespective of how SPDP president William Mawan feels, PRS will accept the ‘errant’ five if they decide to join, said its president James Masing.
The five are assemblymen Peter Nansian (Tasik Biru), Sylvester Entri Muran (Marudi), Rosey Yunus (Bekenu) and Paulus Palu Gumbang (Batu Danau) and the former Mas Gading MP Tiki Lafe.
The five have been partyless since they were expelled from SPDP for insubordination in November 2011 and January 2012.
They expressed their intention to join “any” BN party after Mawan disclosed that he had identified seven new faces to contest SPDP seats in in the coming election.
The seats are Tasik Biru, Krian, Meluan, Bekenu, Batu Danau, Marudi and Ba’Kelalan. Mawan himself will defend his seat of Pakan.
SPDP lost the seats of Krian and Ba’Kelalan to the PKR, while the Meluan assemblyman Wong Judat had resigned from the party and joined Sarawak Workers Party.
By putting new faces Tasik Biru, Marudi, Bekenu and Batu Danau, it is now interpreted that Mawan will not accept the return of the four to SPDP.
Stating his stand today Masing said: “If they (the five) wish to join PRS, we will certainly and kindly consider their request.”
Masing’s willingness to embrace the five lies in the fact that their inclusion would boost PRS’ stable of elected representatives to 12, thus making it the second largest in Sarawak after PBB, led by Chief Minister Taib Mahmud.
Masing wants merger
Currently Nansian, Entri and Rosey are holding assistant minister posts in the Sarawak state cabinet, while Paulus is the current chairman of Miri Port Authority, despite all being partyless.
Tiki meanwhile still maintains his post as National Service Training Council chairman.
Masing had been talking about merging his party with SPDP for a while.
But Mawan rejected the move saying that he gave more importance to the formation of 1BN.
Earlier today Nansian reportedly said that the G5 members will consider joining other parties within the state Bn coalition.
Nansian was responding to Mawan’s earlier announcement of having found seven new faces to contest their seats.
“The statement (by Mawan) tells that his previous talk of taking some of us back has turned into replacing all of us with new faces and this means that his previous thought of reconciliation is over.
“Therefore, for us to continue to maintain ourselves and our voters on the ground to be in BN we will join the other existing BN party in the state,” Nansian said.
PRS doors open
He however, did not specify which of three state BN parties – Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB), Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) or PRS – they would join.
But he did say that for the G5 to “continue to maintain ourselves and our voters on the ground to be in BN, we will have to join other existing BN party.”
In an immediate reaction to Nansian, Masing who is a Senior Minister in taib’s state administration said: “Since Mawan and SPDP cannot compromise with the group, it is better for them to join any of the existing BN parties rather than joining the opposition.
“We cannot leave them in a lurch in perpetuity. If they wish to join PRS, we are too happy to consider their request.
“Such move, I believe, will not disappoint BN supporters in their respective areas.”
Their joining PRS would increase the party’s elected representatives to 12,
The PRS leader had been courting the four since they were expelled from SPDP and had often been seen together in social functions.
Their being together had antagonized SPDP leaders.- FMT.
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